So Close, Yet So Far Away
by The Wishful Thinker
Summary: Why is it that everything you want always seems just beyond your grasp? [ M x S ]
1. For You

Hello there! I'm glad to see that you're interested in my story! First of all, I would like to introduce myself : I am The Wishful Thinker, or Arisusa. Most of my stories in the future (if I write any more stories) will be similar to this one; each chapter will be based on song lyrics. Also, the main theme will be romance because I love romance. Okay? Okay! Now, about this story! Sango-chan and Houshi-sama are the main, and possibly only, pairing. I'm not sure if I'll add Inuyasha-sama and Kagome-chan ... I might if people ask for it. But this story is simply the struggles Houshi-sama and Sango-chan go through before actually becoming a couple. I know it's been done before but I wanted to add my own flavorings to it. And I actually thought this chapter would be much shorter than it is ... Oh well! The longer the better, right? Okay, I'm sorry about my rambling! May the story begin!

- - - - - - - - -

So Close, Yet So Far Away by The Wishful Thinker

Chapter One – For You

_I waited for you  
I died inside my own head  
And I'd die again, for you _

I'm faded and tired  
Completely uninspired  
And I'd die again, for you

So kill me with the love that you won't give to me, give to me  
And pack the wound with salt, _I want to feel it bleed, feel it bleed _

I'm searching for reasons  
To keep away the demons  
And I'd die again, for you  
I wish you were near me  
Could feel it when you hear me say  
I'd die again for you

So kill me with the love that you won't give to me, give to me  
And pack the wound with salt, I want to feel it bleed, feel it bleed  
You wanted me to crawl so now i'm on my knees, on my knees

Why's it always have to be me?  
That's always left out to burn and  
I'll never learn

Why's it always have to be me?  
That's always left out to burn and  
I'll never learn

So kill me with the love that you won't give to me, give to me  
And pack the wound with salt,I want to feel it bleed, feel it bleed  
You wanted me to crawl so now I'm on my knees, on my knees

_Smile Empty Soul – For You_

Their clothes were ripped, their hands bled. Salty raindrops ran down their bruised, dirty faces.

Four comrades stood side by side, facing their opponent with vicious glares. Gripping their weapons each of them got into fighting stances. The _Hanyou_, the _miko_, the _houshi_ nor the _taijiya_ were aware of the rain that was pounding heavily on their backs. Each one of the fighters had their minds set on exterminating this _youkai_ quickly before it brought more burden to the village it had been terrorizing.

The youkai was quite large with bulky legs and arms. He clawed at the air and roared like thunder, his thick scaly tail swooshing behind him. His eyes were deep amber with flakes of gold color.

The youkai, which appeared to be an oversized lizard-youkai, stomped toward the group. The ground slightly shook with each step that he took.

It had started with a simple stop by a village during the group's journey to collect all the jewel shards of the _Shikon no Tama_ and to find the Hanyou Naraku.

Shippo, the _kitsune _of the clan, had complained about the group's lack of rest and food. He suggested to Kagome, the miko amongst them, that they should spend the night in the next village they encountered. Kagome agreed as did Miroku, the houshi, and Sango, the taijiya, for they each felt they needed a break on their voyage.

Inuyasha, the Hanyou, spat at the idea.

Kagome began to lecture Inuyasha about him being stronger than the others so he didn't need the same amount of rest as them, but that he should respect the fact that they were regular human beings and needed at least five hours of sleep per night to properly function everyday. Miroku and Sango were left on the side to watch the brawling duo, along with Shippo.

On and on Inuyasha and Kagome fought, almost nose to nose with each other while they both shouted. From what Miroku, Sango and Shippo could hear, the fight had gone off-topic and into personal matters. Sango sighed while her demon cat, Kirara, sat between her and Miroku. Shippo sat with Kirara and stroked her creamy silky fur.

Miroku didn't pay that much attention to Kagome and Inuyasha for he was watching Sango from the corner of his eye. He watched how beads of sweat slowly trickled down her face from the scorching hot sun, watched how her chest slowly rose as she breathed and watched how she fiddled with hems on the sleeves of her _kosode_.

Kirara purred as Shippo scratched gently behind her ears causing Sango to turn her head toward the cat demon with a smile on her face. She quickly caught a glance of Miroku and he quickly fixed his eyes on Inuyasha and Kagome, his cheeks a light shade of pink.

"Sango-chan," Miroku said as he leaned over toward the girl. "Let's continue walking and stop by the nearest village. I think Inuyasha and Kagome-sama will get the hint and come to find us once they realize we're not here anymore."

Sango looked over to Inuyasha and Kagome, then to Miroku.

"What if they don't think of stopping at the nearest village?" she questioned. "The closest village could even be miles from here!" She paused and looked over at the two once more; their fight seemed to be calming down now. "I think we should wait for them. It looks like they're just talking things over now."

"I agree with Sango," Shippo stated with a nod.

"Alright, we'll wait then," Miroku said. "They _do_ look like they're not fighting anymore."

They waited for Inuyasha and Kagome to finally come up with a solution, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and even Kirara all hoping it would be to stop at a village for the night. But before they heard what was decided Kagome shouted Inuyasha's most resented phrase :

"_Osuwari_!" she commanded. And with that Inuyasha plummeted onto the hard ground.

"Dammit Kagome!" he wailed with anger. "What the hell was that for!"

Kagome walked pass Inuyasha with her head held up high in the air.

"It was for being selfish and not having any consideration for us!" she shouted in response. She started down the path, pumping her fists as if she was power walking. "Come on Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Shippo, Kirara ... Inuyasha agreed to stay at the next village that comes up, but he was so stubborn that I had to shout at him repeatedly so he would give in! What an idiot!"

Miroku sighed and began walking, motioning for Sango, Shippo and Kirara to follow.

Inuyasha slowly got up and brushed off the dusty dirt that covered the front of his red kimono. He cracked his neck, stretched out his back and went to catch up with the others.

It was about an hour after the six of them had resumed walking to find a village. There was a light drizzle and the sky had darkened a bit.

"I hope a village turns up soon," Shippo said as he yawned. "'Cause I'm getting really tired!"

"Don't worry Shippo," Kagome reassured him. "We'll pass a village soon. Villages are usually spread out over the area for privacy and everything ... The last village we passed was probably a few miles back so we'll get to the next one shortly."

Miroku squinted his eyes and looked over the trees ahead of them. He saw puffs of smoke that barely blended in with the grey sky.

"There's smoke that way," he said to the group. They all followed Miroku's gaze and saw the smoke, indicating that there was indeed a village close by.

"Great!" Kagome exclaimed. "If we hurry we'll be there pretty soon!"

"How are you so sure they'd actually let us into their village?" Inuyasha protested. "Some villages can be really creepy and won't let outsiders enter their village."

"It's always worth a try, Inuyasha," Miroku answered.

Miroku looked to his left, toward Sango, and saw that she had her head lowered. Miroku had also noticed that Sango had not spoken since he suggested walking ahead while Inuyasha and Kagome were fighting.

Beyond the trees the group finally saw more traces of the upcoming village. Small huts were just visible behind the branches, leaves and shrubbery.

Shippo instantly grew excited and began to run toward the village with Kirara chasing after him.

Inuyasha and the others were welcomed by the villagers with open arms. Girls swooned over the houshi, who was clearly enjoying it, and Inuyasha was drowned in questions about him being a youkai, but that was before he stated that he was a Hanyou. To his surprise, the women weren't even frightened of his appearance one bit.

Shippo received compliments on his looks by the smaller girls of the group.

Kagome and Sango, however, were left to stand on the sidelines and watch.

"Ugh, he's probably in heaven right now!" Sango said through gritted teeth about Miroku's state of being surrounded by woman of the village. She balled her fists and watched Miroku with a deadly look in her eye.

"Houshi-sama!" exclaimed one of the young women. "Please, come with me! I will show you to a nice room that you can sleep in for the night and I can prepare you something to eat!"

"No, I will supply you with a much finer place to rest and I'll cook you a meal fit for a Lord! Come with me!" cried another happily.

More offers were shouted and pretty soon the whole group of women, including those who were more interested in Inuyasha rather than Miroku, began pulling the two men into the village. Some of the women ordered Miroku to follow them to one side of the village when the others ordered him to follow them on the opposite side. Inuyasha found himself in the same situation.

"Now ladies," Miroku said smoothly. The women immediately ended their fits and paid full attention to what Miroku was going to say.

"I am deeply obliged for your wonderful generosity of offering me a place to rest for the night," he continued. "I would love to stay will all of you beautiful women, but I must stay somewhere with my companions."

The women were now quiet and had saddened looks on their faces. One of them stepped forward with her head hung slightly, twiddling her fingers. Her voice was low yet tender.

"Excuse me Houshi-sama, but I have a somewhat large place where you and your friends can stay for the night," she said.

Miroku smiled softly at the shy girl. He turned around to Kagome and Sango and motioned for them to come over to join him and Inuyasha.

Shippo was still left at the entrance to the village and was surrounded by young girls who were playing with his tail.

Sango stared at the women who stood before her and the others. Her eye twitching, she eyed each one of them and saw them to be nothing but tramps. With half of their chests exposed from the low-cut state of their _kimonos_, it looked as if these women did nothing but try to find a man to share a bed with every night.

No wonder there was such a large amount of children running about.

But the girl who had just shared her offer with Miroku appeared to be decent looking. She wore a simple rose colored kimono and her hair was pulled back into a tight bun.

She bowed to the group and all but Inuyasha did the same in return.

"My name is Tokiwa," the girl continued. "My father, Karasuma Masuyuki, is the head of this village."

The other women rolled their eyes.

Miroku took a step toward Tokiwa, his eyes twinkling.

"It is a great honor to meet the daughter of this village's leader," he said as he gently took one of Tokiwa's hands in his own and lightly kissed the back. A dark shade of red covered Tokiwa's face.

Sango crossed her arms over her chest, unknowingly clenching her fists in anger. She turned away from the sight. She thought it was disgusting and rude on Miroku's part.

Kagome looked over to the village women. They all menacingly stared at Tokiwa, mumbling insults under their breaths.

Then Kagome looked to her side and saw Sango with her arms folded snugly across her breasts, her expression mixed with jealousy, rage and gloom.

"Does Miroku purposely do this to make Sango jealous?" Inuyasha whispered, turning to Kagome as he linked his hands together under his kimono sleeves.

"I don't think he does," she answered. "It's just part of his nature ... But it's pretty darn mean if you ask me! Miroku-sama obviously thinks of Sango-chan in more than a friendly way, but he goes around and hits on other women! What does he want her to think? Does he actually want to make her _jealous_ of him?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Beats me. You know I'm not good at this sort of thing."

"Well, what would you do if you wanted me to be jealous of you?"

Scrunching up his nose as if he was trying to think, Inuyasha shook his head.

"I wouldn't do that in the first place. It's pretty pointless. But if you really want to know, I wouldn't even waste my time trying to make you jealous of me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome asked.

Without answering, Inuyasha turned back to Miroku and Tokiwa.

The other women slowly began to resume their chores throughout of managing the vegetation, taking care of children and cleaning their homes. The young girls even resumed to their own activities and Shippo was able to join the others in the village.

"Could you please show my companions and me to this fine place where we can sleep tonight?" Miroku asked Tokiwa charmingly.

Nodding and smiling Tokiwa led Miroku and the others through the village.

"Isn't this a nice little village?" Kagome questioned Sango gaily. She wanted to help Sango forget about Miroku and enjoy the night.

Sango shrugged in response. She managed to grin and add, "I suppose so."

Soon they all stood before a hut that was about triple the size of the other huts in the village.

The hut was surrounded by a wooden porch. The porch was decorated with various types of flowers, adding touches of different colors to the shelter.

Tokiwa walked up the steps of the porch that led to the door of the hut. Miroku began to follow her up the steps, but was asked to stay outside because Tokiwa had said she needed approval from her father before she let strange villagers into their home.

"Who's she calling strange?" Inuyasha said aloud.

"Well Inuyasha," Miroku started. "You are a Hanyou and Shippo is a youkai. And as far as Tokiwa-sama knows, we could be thieves. I think it is very considerate of her to think of her father's opinion before bringing us inside."

"He's right," Sango agreed after the group was silent. "It wouldn't be right if she brought us into her and her father's home without consulting her father about it. After all, he is the leader of this village."

Miroku smiled, happy to see Sango actually talking. After his performance earlier he wouldn't have been surprised if Sango didn't speak with him for the rest of the evening.

After a few minutes and moments of silence the door slid opened and Tokiwa reappeared with approval from her father.

"He would like to welcome you all to our village," she said as Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo all stepped into Tokiwa's home. Kirara stretched herself out on the porch.

After Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Tokiwa removed their shoes at the door the group was led into a dimly lit room. Plants were scattered along the walls. There was a wide screen in the room and on the other side of the divider one was able to see a figure lying on the floor.

The group all looked at each other while raising eyebrows in curiosity.

"You can go in there," Tokiwa told them. She pointed to an opening in between the end of the screen and the wall. "If you go around that way, _Otou-san_ is in the next room."

Miroku started down the room, followed by the rest.

In the room was a middle-aged laying on a futon. His eyes were closed and a white blanket was draped over his body, stopping justat the middle of his neck.

The group cautiously stood in the doorway of the room, watching the man as he stirred on the futon. He cleared his throat with a gagging cough before he slightly sat up.

"Come, sit down," he offered to them. Miroku led the group to the center of the room where they all knelt on the floor before the man. Inuyasha sat cross-legged and linked his hands together under his kimono sleeves as he did earlier before.

Tokiwa now entered the room with a small cup of water. She presented it to her father and he took it gratefully. He brought the cup to his mouth and took one long, thirsty sip. Tokiwa then bowed and left the room.

The whole room was quiet with the exception of Miroku clearing his throat.

"As you may know already,I am Karasuma Masuyuki, the leader of this village," Masuyuki said, introducing himself."My daughter has told me that you all are travelers, is she right?"

Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo nodded in response.

"I see ... Do you stop at villages like this often?"

"If it were up to me," Inuyasha said before anyone else could speak. "We'd never stop at villages."

"Oh really? Why is that?" Masuyuki asked.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Kagome.

"Eh, he's very shy around people he doesn't know very well," she said.

Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippo all sweat dropped.

"Inuyasha's anything _but_ shy," Shippo murmured.

Masuyuki nodded. "Very well. Please, tell me, what is that you are all traveling for?"

"We're seeking revenge on a demon named Naraku," Sango replied.

"And we're collecting the shards of the shattered Shikon no Tama," Miroku added.

Nodding as if he understood, Masuyuki covered his mouth and coughed loudly. Kagome winced, for the coughing sounded painful. Tokiwa now ran into the room.

"Otou-san, are you alright?" Tokiwa asked with great concern as she knelt down beside her father, resting a hand on his back so he could sit upright while coughing. Tokiwa put her other hand on his left shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little cough."

"Would you like me to get you another cup of water?"

"That would be nice, thank you."

Tokiwa got up and hurried out of the room to retrieve another cup of water for Masuyuki.

"Such a wonderful young girl," he complemented. "She's just like her mother."

At mentioning his wife, Masuyuki's face dropped.

The room was now quiet.

The village leader continued, "My wife passed on when Tokiwa was fourteen years old. Even though that was only three years ago, my daughter and I can still feel her presence with us."

"Oh, things must have been very hard for you and her," Kagome grieved. "W-We're very sorry."

The others nodded in agreement.

"There is no need to be sorry," Masuyuki stated. "It's all in the past. Tokiwa doesn't like to talk about it though. She was very close to my wife.

"My wife, Nanami, began to resent me after we were married. She claimed she didn't feel the magic that she felt before we vowed to spend the rest of our lives together. Once we had Tokiwa, Nanami raised her to also dislike me. I wasn't allowed to take my own daughter places without my wife there to watch. I guess she was afraid that I would try to feel Tokiwa.

"I never heard the words 'I love you' from Tokiwa, or even Nanami. Those two always seemed to exclude me from everything that went on between them. I wasn't aware of anything that went on in my daughter's life anymore. When Tokiwa was about five years old I began to suspect that Nanami was in love with another man. I had learned from Nanami's friends that she was indeed in love with someone else before we both met. Fumitoki, his name was. I was afraid that those two were having an affair together behind my back, so I questioned Nanami about it, reasonably of course, and I received nothing but a slap on the face ... In front of my own daughter too. I then felt very shameful that I even thought of asking such a thing.

"There _were_ some times when we would be together as a family, but they were very rare moments. I enjoyed them very much though. Even if they were small, like walks around the village, gathering ingredients for Nanami to make dinner or just sitting here and talking, I treasured them with all my heart.

"I could see that Tokiwa wanted a father daughter relationship with me. Her friends all did, so I suppose she wanted to be like her friends. She would try bringing me outside to play games with her but Nanami would drive her away and give her something else to do. But when my wife wasn't home or when she was busy with something, Tokiwa would sit and talk with me. She had such a wonderful laugh. It was so full of life, but she hasn't laughed since Nanami was alive.

"When Tokiwa was thirteen Nanami came down with a very bad disease. She suddenly was pale and could not talk. Tokiwa sat by her side and took care of her until the moment she passed away, which was a year after she took on the unknown sickness.

"Now I'm afraid that I am in the same condition my wife was in three years ago. I cannot walk, I'm very weak and I have this rabid cough. I don't want my daughter to be alone once I pass on, so I'm trying my hardest to stay alive until she is married."

"Have you made those arrangements for her yet?" Miroku inquired with a serious tone.

"She is to be married next year to one of our warriors," Masuyuki responded. "Until then, I am trying my very best not to leave her."

"I see," Miroku said as he nodded. "It seems that you have gone through a rough time involving your marriage."

"If you knew that your wife didn't love you, then why didn't you decide to separate?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Inuyasha, those sorts of things aren't that easy," Kagome told the half demon.

"Not only that," added Masuyuki. "Nanami never spoke about it. I think she was afraid of being alone. She never did appreciate solitude.

"Now, did you say you were searching for a demon by the name of Naraku?"

"Yes, we've been looking for him for a while," Sango said.

"I have heard things about him, but nothing about his whereabouts," said Masuyuki apologetically. "I –"

Masuyuki was cut off by several loud screams coming from outside of the hut. Inuyasha and Miroku immediately got up and quickly exited the room to go outside. Kagome, Sango and Shippo reassured Masuyuki that his village was not in danger. But if it was, they told him that they would rid the village of what ever was frightening its citizens.

Kagome, Sango and Shippo exited the room to go outside as well.

Instead of following Kagome and Shippo outside, Sango quickly ran to another room to change into her taijiya uniform. She had a feeling that a youkai was probably the cause for the screaming villagers.

Outside, Inuyasha and Miroku were greeted with a horrifying site. Skeletons were scattered about the village grounds and villagers were scurrying out of their huts and running out of the village. The two men looked around for signs of why the villagers were running like they were, and why there were bones on the ground.

They found their answer when they saw a medium sized creature gnawing on the flesh from a corpse.

"It appears that these villagers are fleeing from this little guy," Miroku said to Inuyasha with a chuckle.

"Pft, I can kill that thing with my eyes closed," Inuyasha declared gruffly. "I don't even need the _Tessaiga_! It's puny enough for me to kill with my own hands."

Charging at the creature while shouting, "_Sankon Tessou!_" Inuyasha attempted to tear at the monster's own flesh apart. With its quick reflexes the creature jumped back and dashed into the nearest hut.

There was a loud piercing scream and then the sound of tearing skin. Then, there was dead silence.

Kagome and Shippo now came outside and Kirara jumped off of the porch and joined them. Kagome had a bow and arrow ready to aim and shoot when needed.

The three looked around at the chaotic situation with shocked expressions.

"What's going on?" Kagome insisted.

"W-Why are there bones and blood on the ground?" Shippo cried.

"Calm down," Miroku said soothingly. "Inuyasha and I just got out here so we're not quite sure. It seems that there is a youkai that's killing the villagers and eating them. It's not very big so it shouldn't be hard to destroy."

"Where is it?" demanded Kagome while raising up her bow and arrow.

"The bastard went inside that hut," Inuyasha said as he pointed a finger in the direction of the said hut.

Miroku looked around in curiosity.

"Where's Sango?" he asked quickly.

"I'm here," came Sango's voice.

Miroku turned around and found himself face-to-face with the girl. She was fully dressed in her taijiya uniform and was holding _Hiraikotsu_ by its handle. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail like it always is for combats.

"It's a youkai, isn't it?" she questioned.

"Yes," replied Miroku. "Right now it's in that hut. We need to lure it out so we can keep it from hurting anymore people."

As if it was summoned, the youkai scampered out of the hut and went behind a patch of bushes. But the youkai didn't look the way it did before it had gone into the hut. This fact was unrecognized by the group.

"We need to get rid of this thing," Inuyasha said as he cracked his knuckles. "Kagome, Shippo ... You two go in the hut and see what the damned thing did. Miroku and Sango, you two come with me. We can kill this guy off in a second."

Kagome and Shippo ran to the hut while Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango ran to the bushes that were by the hut. Inuyasha unsheathed the Tessaiga.

Kagome and Shippo cautiously entered the hut, not knowing what to expect.

They both almost vomited at the sight that sat before them.

It appeared to be a body that was torn from limb to limb. Rotten flesh covered the bloodstained bones that were spread about the small hut. A heavy stench filled the room, making the miko and kitsune pinch their noses and hold their stomachs.

"Did that youkai do this?" Shippo asked Kagome while gagging.

"I think so," Kagome replied. Her voice was muffled due to putting her hand over her nose and mouth.

"We should go tell Inuyasha and the others about this," Shippo said as she started out of the hut. "And we better warn them too! Even though that youkai isn't really big, he seems pretty dangerous!"

Kagome agreed and the two hurried out of the hut, the gruesome image still embedded in their minds.

Over by the bushes Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango vigilantly neared the youkai. Sango shielded herself with Hiraikotsu for any needed protection while Miroku took out an _ofuda_. Kirara joined them and was now in her larger form but stood behind the three comrades.

The youkai stirred behind the shrubbery, flailing its tail in every direction possible. Inuyasha told Miroku and Sango to stand back while he would make an attempt to slash the creature with the Tessaiga.

Inuyasha jumped up and brought the Tessaiga above his shoulders. Once he was above the youkai he thrust his sword into the youkai's body, slicing the creature in half. One portion of the body ran off into the village, its quick speed seeming no match for Sango, Miroku and Kirara while the other portion was motionless.

"Shit!" Inuyasha shouted, gripping Tessaiga's hilt with frustration. "How the hell did he run off like that?"

"It seems he can survive with just half of his body," Miroku said while taking out another ofuda.

"Thanks Mr. Obvious, I think I already know that," Inuyasha spat in response. He began searching around for a particular black-haired girl. "Where's Kagome? Is she still in that hut with Shippo?"

"She's over there," Sango told the Hanyou as she pointed in Kagome's and Shippo's direction. Kagome and Shippo were jogging over to the rest of the group.

Inuyasha sheathed the Tessaiga and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, what'd you two find in the hut?"

"Ugh, it was disgusting!" Shippo shrieked as he stuck out his tongue in disgust. "There were bones and blood and rotten skin! I think the youkai ate whoever was in there!"

"It looks as if this youkai feeds off humans for some strange reason," Miroku said with thought. "Now we just have to find out why."

More screams and hollers were heard at the front of the village. The group instantaneously began running in the direction of the screams.

"Oh my gosh!" Kagome yelled in shock. "H-How ... W-What happened?"

The group stood before a myriad of dead tattered bodies. Clothes were torn to shreds, bones were piled everywhere and there was once again the rotting flesh.

"It was the youkai!" one of the witnessing villagers shouted. "He destroyed these innocent people!"

"Destroyed is an understatement!" another shouted. "The monster slaughtered them!"

"And so quickly?" Sango asked calmly. "Where did he go now?"

"He went that way!" a villager stated while pointing out of the village. "And Karasuma-san's daughter went that way to get water! Please, hurry before she gets hurt!"

And with that, a face a pure determination showed up on Miroku's face. He quickly hurried out of the chaotic village with his friends right by his side.

It wasn't too hard to know that the youkai was nearby; Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara were all able to hear it roaring in the distance.

The youkai was even visible above the tree heads.

"What the?" Inuyasha said with annoyance. "That thing's ten times larger than the size it was back at the village!"

Miroku began to mentally study the events that had taken place regarding this youkai and how it could have possibly increased his size.

"He's feeding on human flesh to grow bigger," Sango clarified, breaking Miroku away from his thoughts. "It just came to me; I've fought youkai like this before with my father and brother."

"Hm, that does make sense," Inuyasha said approvingly. "Well, whatever it's doing has to stop right now! Let's go!"

Inuyasha leaned forward and began to run, followed by Kagome, Sango and Shippo. Shippo was sitting on Kirara's back. But when Sango noticed that Miroku hadn't begun running she stopped and turned around.

"Houshi-sama? Are you coming?"

Miroku smirked and took a few steps toward Sango. Once he reached her he placed a hand on her shoulder. Even under her armor and taijiya uniform, Sango grew hot from the houshi's touch.

"Well said Sango," Miroku complemented. "I was thinking of ways this youkai could have grown bigger, but you beat me to it. Now, let's go and catch up with the others."

With her face a light shade of pink Sango slowly nodded as she and Miroku began to run. As they ran, raindrops rapidly fell from the sky.

Running in the rain alongside Miroku ... Nothing in the whole world could have ruined this moment for Sango.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo and Kirara were now just a few yards away from the youkai. But just a few feet away from them they saw a young woman lying on the ground, one who seemed very recognizable.

"That looks like Tokiwa-san!" Kagome called out to her companions. "She looks like she's injured! We need to get her back to the village! Inuyasha, pick her up and lay her down on Kirara. She can bring Tokiwa-san back to the village."

Obeying Kagome, Inuyasha ran to Tokiwa and scooped her up into his arms. Kirara then flew over, Shippo still on her back, and landed beside the Hanyou and unconscious girl. Inuyasha gently laid Tokiwa on Kirara's back. Shippo looked at her with a heartbroken expression.

"Okay Kirara, you and Shippo can go back to the village with her," Kagome said. "Shippo, tell the villagers that we found her like this on the ground and that we're pretty sure the youkai knocked her unconscious."

"O-Okay Kagome!" Shippo replied nervously yet with determination.

Kirara jumped up into the air and flew over the treetops in direction of the village.

In a few moments Miroku and Sango had caught up with Inuyasha and Kagome.

"I saw Kirara flying back towards the village!" Sango said while breathing heavily and wiping her wet brow.

"Tokiwa-san was knocked out unconscious," Kagome explained. "We sent her back to the village with Kirara and Shippo."

The rain grew heavier.

"Come on, let's not waste any more time!" Inuyasha shouted.

The ground shook and then there was a loud roar. The group watched as the youkai started for them, clawing at the air.

Inuyasha unsheathed the Tessaiga. Kagome prepared a bow and arrow, Miroku took out more ofudas and Sango positioned her arms as if she was about to throw Hiraikotsu.

The youkai picked up his leg and then slammed it on the ground setting Miroku, Sango and Kagome off balance. They each fell into the mud.

Inuyasha held back the Tessaiga and charged at the youkai. He was aiming for one of its legs.

"Kagome-sama," Miroku said. "Can you see if the youkai has a jewel shard? That can be why it's so strong."

Nodding and wiping her face free of mud, Kagome turned to the youkai. She squinted her eyes for better vision and saw that the youkai did indeed have a jewel shard. But there was more than one.

"There's two of them in the left side of its chest!" she shouted over the pounding rain.

"Then we have to get them out," Sango suggested. "That's probably how one side of him ran off after Inuyasha split him in half; that half must have had the jewel shards."

"You're right again Sango," Miroku said. "Quick, let's go help Inuyasha. We're not doing any good lying in the mud like this."

The three stood up and gripped their weapons tightly. They ran to join Inuyasha who seemed to have achieved his goal of doing _something_ to harm the youkai's leg.

"Inuyasha, we need to aim for the left side of his chest!" Kagome told him. "He has two jewel shards!"

"Two of them, huh?" Inuyasha repeated. "Well, they won't be his any longer!"

Inuyasha charged at the youkai again, jumping off of his feet and aiming the Tessaiga at the left side of its chest.

The youkai struck the Hanyou, knocking him onto the ground. Inuyasha landed on his feet and skidded in the mud.

Sango took a step forward and held Hiraikotsu over her shoulders. She brought it back and then thrust her arm forward, shouting the weapon's name and sending it flying into the youkai's chest.

Hiraikotsu cut through Sango's target, but no jewel shards flew out. The youkai screamed and swatted at the boomerang bone, sending it flying back to Sango with extreme force. Sango caught it, but the blow made her fall to the ground.

"Sango, are you alright?" Miroku asked as he ran to Sango and helped her onto her feet. Sango nodded, using Hiraikotsu and Miroku for support while she stood up shakily.

Kagome had a bow and arrow ready to shoot at the youkai. She closed one eye and aimed at the area of the youkai's chest where she saw the two glowing shards.

Being occupied with Inuyasha, who was running about the creature's feet and slashing at its legs with the Tessaiga, the youkai was unaware of the arrow that was headed its way.

With its great speed, the arrow quickly cut through the youkai's chest. The two jewel shards slid out and began to fall to the ground.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called. "The jewel shards! Catch them!"

With a bewildered expression, Inuyasha quickly looked up and saw the two fragments just above his head. He reached up his hand and the shards fell onto his palm. Inuyasha wrapped his fingers around the fragments. He turned to Kagome with a look of triumph on his face. Kagome ran over to Inuyasha, took the shards from him and ran back to her spot by Miroku and Sango where she took off the bottle of shards that hung around her neck, opened it and dropped the to jewel fragments inside.

Inuyasha resumed back to attacking the youkai's massive legs.

Kagome began to shoot more arrows at the chest.

"Houshi-sama," Sango said. "We need to help them."

"Are you able to stand up okay?" Miroku asked with concern. "Hiraikotsu hit you rather hard."

"Don't worry about me!" Sango demanded in response. "I'm fine! I can take it! We need to help Kagome-chan and Inuyasha now!"

And with that, Sango threw Hiraikotsu over her shoulder and charged at the youkai with it.

Miroku had no choice but to accept defeat from Sango. He sighed, closed his eyes and quietly chanted to himself before throwing an ofuda at the youkai's head. The ofuda was not seen by the youkai, therefore Miroku achieve his task of burning a hole through its head, located in between the youkai's eyes.

Without the two jewel shards in its chest, the youkai seemed weaker. Its speed had also decreased, making its movement slow, sluggish and easier for the comrades.

Inuyasha seemed bored with himself, for the youkai's legs were completely tattered. Blood rushed down the creatures legs and into a pool of the black liquid. Inuyasha's hands bled from gripping Tessaiga's hilt too tightly and his face was slightly bruised from the light strikes in the face he received from the youkai.

Kagome was barely bruised but her clothes were ripped and her face was covered in dirt.

Sango was still battling affects of the blow she had gotten from her own weapon but was still on her feet and throwing Hiraikotsu at that youkai.

Miroku was untouched but was dirty from falling in the mud earlier before.

The youkai began to lose patience and grew antsier. It stomped its feet, clawed at the air and began to run in Sango's direction. At the way it stumbled when it ran, one would think the youkai was drunk.

Inuyasha took this as the perfect opportunity to exterminate this guy once and for all.

"Sango, keep running!" Inuyasha ordered as he followed the youkai. "I'll get this guy in the back ... Kagome, go for its head! Miroku, do anything you want, but just don't stand there!"

Kagome took out another arrow and set it up on her bow. She closed one eye and fixed the arrow right in the dead center of the youkai's head. Sango continued running.

Inuyasha began to run as well and was literally right on the youkai's tail.

Kagome led go of the arrow and it took up tremendous speed. The arrow hit Kagome's target and the demon stopped running and yelped with pain. Inuyasha took his chance and jumped up. He swung the Tessaiga and drove it in the youkai's back.

The youkai suddenly stopped and was still for a slight moment. Then he slowly began to fall, somewhat resembling a falling tree.

"Sango, get out of the way!" Miroku ordered, screaming at the top of his lungs.

The rain had grown exceedingly loud.

Turning around while still running, Sango saw the collapsing youkai. She turned around and fastened her pace but didn't see the large indentation in the ground that was right by her feet, for it was covered by mud.

Sango stepped in the pothole, unbeknownst to her, and lost her balance. She dropped to the ground, the brown muck splashing about.

She tried to get up but her ankle throbbed with pain.

"Dammit!" Sango cursed under her breath.

Suddenly, Sango felt her body being thrown to the side. A piercing ache shot through her ankle as she heard the youkai crash to the ground.

But she also heard a load moan, a moan mixed with agony and pain.

"Miroku-sama!" Kagome screamed.

Sango felt her heart stop.

Forgetting the pain in her ankle, Sango stood up and ran to Miroku. She may have looked funny, limping and running, but she didn't care. She needed to see if Miroku was alright.

Sango fell next to Miroku's still body which was sprawled underneath the youkai's claw. The claws were embedded in Miroku's back.

Sango tried to push the youkai's claws off of the houshi, but was too weak to do it by herself.

"Inuyasha!" Sango shouted hoarsely. "Help me!"

Inuyasha hurried over. Although he was battered and bruised also, he managed to help Sango.

Blood stained Miroku's _osode_ and _kesa_. He lay on his stomach, his face digging into the ground. Sango tried to hold back tears as she and Inuyasha slowly turned him over on his back.

Miroku's face was scrunched up, indicating that he was in great pain. Sango placed a hand gently on his chest to check his breathing.

"We need to get him back to the village!" Sango cried as she choked back loud sobs. She hated to see Miroku in this state.

And what was worse was that it was because of her.

He did push her out of the way, didn't he?

Inuyasha lifted Miroku up off the ground, throwing the houshi's right arm over his shoulder.

"Sango, lift up his other arm," Inuyasha told her.

Nodding, Sango gingerly lifted up Miroku's left arm and draped it over her shoulder. She grew faintly warm when her body pressed up against his.

The two began to walk, Sango limping each time her injured foot hit the ground. Kagome followed them, her eyes watering.

As they walked, Sango laid her head gently on Miroku's shoulder. "Oh, Houshi-sama," she whispered. "Why did you have to do that?"

"Sango ... You know I would die for you," came the faint reply.

Sango felt her heart explode.

- - - - - - - - -

I apologize if the pacing is too slow. I tend to drone on about things sometimes! If you hadn't noticed, most of the italicized words are Japanese. And no, I don't use Japanese words to 'show off' my knowledge of the language, I only use it when I feel the word should stay the way it is. But right now I'm going to give you all a quick Japanese lesson!

The Wishful Thinker's Japanese Dictionary (the words are in the order in which they appear in the story)

_Hanyou_ – half demon. Most of you know that though because it's pretty well-known amongst Inuyasha-sama fans

_Miko_ – it sometimes is translated as 'priestess' (like in this story) but it actually means a virgin girl associated with a Shinto shrine

_Houshi_ – a Buddhist monk

_Taijiya_ – a demon exterminator

_Youkai_ – often translated as 'demon' but youkai are actually magical creatures

_Shikon no Tama_ – the Jewel of Four Souls ; the Shikon Jewel ; the Four-Soul Jewel

_Kitsune_ – a fox – spirit

_Kosode_ – a type of _kimono_

_Kimono_ – a robe-like dress that is worn mostly by women, but is also worn by men

_Osuwari_ – "sit". This is known as the command Kagome-chan uses that makes Inuyasha-sama crash into the ground

_Otou-san_ – a respectable term one would use when addressing their father

_Tessaiga_ – Inuyasha-sama's sword. In the English-language anime it's spelt 'Tetsusaiga' and pronounced as 'Tetsaiga'. It's translated as 'The Fang' but can also be known as 'The Iron Cleaving Fang'

_Sankon Tessou_ – 'Soul Scattering Iron Claw' or 'Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer'. Inuyasha-sama's attack with his claws. In the English manga it was translated as 'Demon Begone' and 'Claws of Exorcism'

_Hiraikotsu_ – Sango's weapon, a giant boomerang made from the bone of a youkai

_Ofuda_ – a paper Houshi-sama uses when in combat. He really doesn't use them, but I believe that when he used it once it burned a hole in the head of his opponent. Whether he chants things before he uses them is unknown to me, but I just added that in because I think it could happen

_Osode_ – the long sleeved black robe Houshi-sama wears

_Kesa_ – the purple cloth Houshi-sama has tied over his left shoulder

My Japanese lessons usually won't be as long as this one was. In some chapter I probably won't even have one. But right now I would like to thank you for taking your time to read this first chapter and I will really appreciate your review (if you submit one ... If you don't, I still greatly appreciate you taking the time to read this)!

Until next time!

- - - - - - - - -

Next chapter : Trouble Sleeping – The Perishers

Sango is having trouble falling asleep, for she can't stop thinking about what Miroku said to her. Also, more on Tokiwa and Masuyuki.


	2. Trouble Sleeping

Hello again! I think it's about time I posted this chapter, right? Sorry if I was a little slow! This weekend I really didn't get on the computer too much so I really didn't get to work on this chapter! It's much shorter than the first chapter, but then again all of my chapters won't be as long as that! I'm sure that other chapters might be around the same length as that first one. But thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! I was so happy that I got positive feedback! My responses to the reviews are at the end of the chapter so you can all look forward to that when you're done reading! And to all of you who read but didn't review : Thank you so much for reading! It makes me feel great when people take time out of their days to read something I wrote! Now, I'll stop talking and I let you all enjoy this chapter!

- - - - - - - - -

So Close, Yet So Far Away by The Wishful Thinker

Chapter Two – Trouble Sleeping

_I'm having trouble sleeping  
You're jumping in my bed  
Twisting in my head  
Leave me _

I'm having trouble breathing  
You're sitting on my chest  
I sure could use the rest  
Leave me

It's you  
Why's it always you and never me?  
I've never dared to let my feelings free  
Why's it always you and never me?  
I've never cared too much about honesty

I'm having trouble sleeping  
I'm thinking of what you said  
About the tears been shed  
Leave me

It's you  
Why's it always you and never me?  
I've never dared to let my feelings free  
Why's it always you and never me?  
I've never cared too much about honesty

_It's you  
Now and always you but never me  
I've never dared to let my feelings free  
Why's it always you and never me?  
I've never cared too much about honesty_

_Trouble Sleeping – The Perishers_

Sango lay on her futon, her eyes wide open. She listened intently to the slow breathing of the person just a few feet away from her, the breathing of the houshi Miroku.

It was a few hours since the battle against the lizard-youkai had taken place. Sango's ankle still ached with pain but had been taken care of by a villager when the group returned to the village after their fight was over.

Inuyasha and Sango had entered the village first, each of Miroku's arms draped over their shoulders and necks. Tears still streamed down Sango's face but she kept her sobbing to herself. She didn't want Inuyasha and Kagome to know that she was crying for Miroku.

If only he hadn't pushed her out of the way.

Why couldn't it be her who was being dragged back to the village instead?

_No! Don't think like that!_ Sango screamed in her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook the thought out of her mind.

"Is his breathing okay?" Kagome asked quietly from behind. Kagome's question brought Sango back to reality and out of her thoughts.

"I don't know. His chest is rising so I guess it's okay," Inuyasha responded. He shifted Miroku's arm on his neck, for it slowly began to slide off. "Shit, I didn't know Miroku was so damn heavy!"

Now they were in the village. It was quiet and empty, making the community appear as if it were deserted.

"Everyone must be inside their huts," Kagome suggested. "But they must've been able to hear the youkai from here. It was pretty loud. And if they were able to hear it, then they would know that we killed it, right?"

No one replied to Kagome's suggested but instead kept walking to the end of the village where their destination, the Karasuma residence, was located.

And there was not one trace of a villager anywhere.

As Inuyasha, Sango and Kagome continued walking, along with Miroku being carried, the Karasuma hut came into view in the distance. In front of the hut there seemed to be a large group of people standing together.

"What's that about?" Inuyasha mumbled to himself. "Is there a riot or something?"

"It could be they need Masuyuki-san for something, or they want to see how Tokiwa-san is doing," Kagome said. "I'm pretty sure they all were here when Shippo and Kirara came back."

Sango stayed quiet. There was a lump in her throat that she couldn't quite get rid of.

The group neared the hut and could hear the villagers talking. Shippo's head was barely visible amongst them all.

"Kagome!" he called once he spotted his friends over the heads of the villagers. "You guys made it out okay!"

They were clearly not close enough for Shippo to see Miroku's condition, Sango's now swelled ankle or Inuyasha's and Kagome's ripped clothing and bruised faces.

Villagers started running over to them, welcoming everyone back from their battle. They congratulated them and offered food and shelter, not even noticing their wounds or even Miroku.

Until one little girl pointed him out.

"Is Houshi-sama sleeping?" she asked quizzically, biting on her fingernails.

"Oh my, what happened to him?" a woman inquired. She rushed over to the houshi and knelt down before him, carefully inspecting him.

Sango finally got rid of that lump.

"The youkai fell and he couldn't get out of the way," she told the woman quietly. "The youkai's claw got embedded in his back. He's barely conscious though …"

"And what happened to you?" a man asked, addressing Sango's puffy ankle. He stood next to the woman.

"Oh, it's nothing. I –"

"Taijiya-san, come with us," the woman offered. "You and Houshi-sama, all of you, you need medical attention. We can help you. My husband and I are experienced with medicine."

The woman stood up and gently placed a hand on Sango's arm leading her, Inuyasha and Kagome, along with the scarcely mindful Miroku, to the hut where she and her husband took residence. Her husband followed them.

The hut they were all led to was adjacent to the Karasuma hut.

The woman lifted up a cloth that seemed to be the door to the hut which covered the entrance. She led everyone inside.

Inside the hut was simple : two futons, medicines, bandages and a plant here and there.

"Here, lay Houshi-sama on the futon," said the woman, sliding the futon closer to Sango and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha and Sango gently lay Miroku on the futon. Miroku slightly flinched once he was set on his back.

"Heh, I don't need people to take care of my wounds," Inuyasha confirmed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm goin' outside."

And without protest from anyone Inuyasha left the hut.

"Now, Taijiya-san," the women started after a few minutes of silence. "Please, sit down and I will tend to your ankle. My husband will take care of Houshi-sama."

She then turned to Kagome.

"If you would like," she told her. "You can take a bath out in the back to freshen up. If you spot any bruises or wounds you can always come inside and I'll take care of them."

"Oh, thank you very much," Kagome said appreciatively while bowing. Before going outside to her bath she knelt beside the man who was taking care of Miroku.

"Will Miroku-sama be alright?" she asked softly.

"His back seems badly wounded," the man answered. "I'll need quite a few bandages to keep him from losing anymore blood, but with a few days rest he'll be fine."

With a faint smile Kagome stood up and quietly walked out of the hut. She met with Shippo, who was running in her direction.

"Kagome!" he called. "What happened? How come you all went to that hut instead?"

Kagome knelt down until she was eyelevel with Shippo. "It's Miroku-sama … He got badly injured while we were fighting. And Sango-chan … Her ankle seems to be sprained."

"That's awful!" Shippo gasped. "Are they gonna be okay?"

Kagome nodded.

"Sango-chan will be alright, her ankle only needs bandaging. But Miroku-sama's wounds may take a few days to heal. We might be here longer than we thought."

"I don't think Inuyasha's gonna like that …"

"I know, but he'll have to accept it. We can't travel without Miroku-sama and Sango-chan … But how is Tokiwa-san doing? Is she still unconscious?"

"She's okay now!" Shippo said with relief. "But Masuyuki-san was so scared! He almost had a heart attack when he saw what happened to her!"

"She's okay then? Oh, that's good to hear Shippo! Today's been so chaotic! I'm going to take a bath now to freshen up. I kind of fell in the mud earlier …"

Shippo lightly chuckled. "Okay! I'll go see Miroku and Sango then! But where's Inuyasha?"

"I don't know," Kagome said honestly. "He left the hut, but he didn't say where he was going. He'll turn up soon, I guess."

Kagome and Shippo then parted.

And so Shippo paid a visit to Sango and Miroku. Sango was having her ankle tended to by the woman while Miroku lay on his stomach, still unconscious, as the woman's husband tenderly aided Miroku's wounded back with his large hands.

Sango's ankle was wrapped snugly with a long bandage. Once the woman was done Sango carefully inspected the purple color that was seen through the white dressing.

"You and your companions, you are all staying at the Karasuma house tonight, is that right?" the woman asked.

Nodding in response, Sango quickly stole a glance of Miroku over the woman's shoulder. She felt a knife stab her heart.

"Y-Yes. Houshi-sama, our friends and I were welcomed to spend the night there."

"Alright then," the woman said as she stood up and headed out of the hut. "We'll get you both there by nightfall. I would invite you both to stay here, but I'm afraid there just isn't enough room for four people here."

"They could sleep here for the night and we can stay with Mitsuko-chan," the man suggested to his wife. "Taijiya-san and Houshi-sama need to rest; I really don't think it's necessary to bring them to Karasuma-san's home."

"We can't just invite ourselves to Mitsuko-chan's home," the woman said. "That would be –"

"Ema-chan, I'm sure she won't mind."

Ema sighed and still looked unconvinced. She looked around the hut, biting her lip, and then nodded after a long pause. "Alright," she finally said. "I'll go ask her."

With a smile on his face, Ema's husband watched his wife walk out of the hut.

At the Karasuma hut, Tokiwa lay beside her father on a separate futon. She had gained consciousness just a half hour ago. A cold, wet cloth sat on her forehead.

"Otou-san," Tokiwa started with a weak voice. "I apologize for never getting you your water."

With a cough, Masuyuki sat up. He faced her daughter with a light smile on his face. He brushed her bangs away from her face.

"It's alright daughter," he said forgivingly. "That doesn't matter right now. What's important is that you're safe, thanks to those travelers."

"Houshi-sama, he's such a wonderful man," Tokiwa whispered. "I would like it if I would be able to marry a man like him."

Masuyuki's eyes widened as he heard his daughter speak of a man she had barely even known.

"But you're to be married to Juichi-san after I pass on," Masuyuki said to Tokiwa.

"Oh, but Otou-san! Houshi-sama treated me like I was the most beautiful woman he's even seen," Tokiwa insisted as she held her hands to her heart. "I don't feel that way with Juichi-san …"

"Tokiwa-chan," Masuyuki addressed his daughter sternly. "You don't know him that well. And Juichi-san seems very pleased about you being his future bride."

"Juichi-san has never kissed my hand before, Otou-san! Nor has he ever looked at me with such longing, beautiful eyes! Houshi-sama made me feel wonderful earlier today. Please Otou-san … Would you please ask him to stay here and ask for him to marry me?"

Masuyuki took one long, hard look at Tokiwa. Her eyes lit with admiration for the houshi she spoke of. There was also a little bit of hope, hope that Masuyuki would say yes to her request.

"I hope you do know that he may decline. It appears that Houshi-sama and his companions plan to stay here only for one night, and they _are_ in search for something so he may decline for that reason."

Tokiwa paused, for she put her father's words to thought.

"I understand," she said flatly. "But I still would like it if you asked him. Please Otou-san … It would make me so happy."

Tokiwa looked up at her father and he could see the tears that had formed in her eyes. It was like she had fallen in love with the houshi at first sight.

Masuyuki gently pressed his lips on his daughter's forehead. He nodded.

"Alright then," he said. "As you wish, I will ask Houshi-sama if he would accept your hand in marriage."

The village leader felt his throat tighten when he said those words. He did not feel right asking another man to marry his daughter.

_But if it is what she wants_ …

"Oh, thank you Otou-san!" Tokiwa cried as she gingerly threw her arms about her father's neck. She dug her face in his shoulder.

"I love you, Otou-san," she whispered.

Masuyuki had never thought he would hear those words from his daughter.

A tear streamed down his face.

Back where Miroku and Sango were, Ema and her husband had received approval from their friend to spend the night there. Once Kagome had finished bathing out in the back, Sango told her about the new sleeping arrangements.

"So it'll just be you and Miroku-sama here tonight?" Kagome said, her eyes wide.

Sango nodded.

"Just me and Houshi-sama."

"Wow, this is so romantic!" Kagome exclaimed. "Just the two of you in a nice cozy hut with the moonlight leaking in! Oh … but what if he tries something?"

"He _is _injured you know," Sango said nervously at the thought. "Knowing him though …"

Kagome laughed.

"I was just kidding! I don't think Miroku-sama would disrespect you like that!"

Sango and Kagome both turned toward the sleeping Miroku then back at each other.

"Just in case," Kagome started. "You should be cautious."

"How far apart should the futons be spread?" Sango asked.

"About five feet would be good."

Kagome stood up and dragged Sango's futon a few feet away from Miroku's.

"Is that good enough?" Kagome asked as she sat down beside Sango. "Do you think he would crawl off the futon?"

Sango managed to laugh.

"I don't think he would do that."

Now the two girls sat in silence and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of Miroku's breathing.

Before they knew it, the girls saw that it had grown dark outside. Shippo had now stopped by in search of Kagome and learned the new sleeping arrangements. Inuyasha was just outside.

"If you want to come by Tokiwa-san's home to sleep instead …" Shippo told Sango.

"I'll be fine here with Houshi-sama," Sango said to Shippo with a smile.

The miko and the kitsune bade their farewells to the taijiya an hour after nightfall.

Sango suddenly found it extremely lonely inside the hut.

Crawling onto her futon Sango decided it was time to get some sleep. After all, the battle had knocked the wind out of her earlier. Her ankle was also stinging.

As she lay down on her back Sango stared up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, relieved that she could finally get some sleep, until Miroku's face began to flood through her mind.

Sango turned over on her stomach and dug her face into her pillow. She had thought doing this would make all of the images in her head fuzzy but it had no effect.

"Damn you, Houshi-sama!" Sango spat under her breath. She turned over onto her back, wiping newly developed sweat from her forehead.

Now it felt as if there was someone laying directly next to Sango. When she closed her eyes she imagined that Miroku was laying on her futon with her.

"Get off of my futon!" Sango squeaked and she squirmed on her futon to shake the houshi off. When she opened her eyes she found that he had never moved from his spot next to her.

Was she actually _guilty_ of Miroku saving her?

But why! Why did he risk his life for her?

"_Sango ... You know I would die for you."_

_What's that supposed to mean?_

_Was he … Was he trying to tell me something?_

_Is that another way of saying ... He loves me?_

Sango turned to her side and watched Miroku sleep.

_What about his groping? Sure, if he loved me he wouldn't disrespect me like that. And flirting with other women … Why would he do that? _

_And how come he's never asked me to bear his child!_

Sango felt her heart skip a beat for one slight moment.

_Do I _want_ him to ask me that?_

"Stop it, right now," Sango demanded herself. "Stop thinking about him!"

Her demand was almost loud enough to wake up the neighboring hut but not even Miroku stirred beside her.

Sango eventually calmed down. That was until she felt it hard to breathe.

It felt as if there was a heavy weight on her chest, right in the middle. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to rid this weight, but things only got worse.

Miroku was that heavy weight.

Sango's eyes shot open and suddenly Miroku was back on his own futon. It was still hard to breathe, but Sango came to realize that it was her own conscious that was sitting on her chest.

She _was_ guilty.

And she knew it.

This was ridiculous. Sango turned onto her side, facing the wall, trying to forget about this all.

"_Sango ... You know I would die for you."_

_Stop …_

" … _I would die for you."_

… _Please …_

" … _I would _die_ for you."_

… _Don't say it …_

" … _I. Would. Die. For. You."_

"Leave me the hell alone!" Sango shouted. She had shouted loud enough this time for almost the whole village to hear her.

Miroku stirred on his futon. He let out a yawn and soon he resumed back to sleeping.

It was relieving to hear that sound, the sound of Miroku yawning.

Sango turned over onto her other side, now looking at Miroku in his sleeping form.

_How do I really feel about you?_

_What are these feelings … These feelings so unknown to me?_

_Sometimes I think I hate you, sometimes I think I like you as a friend, but at times like these … At times like these I come to think that maybe my feelings for you are stronger than I thought._

_But how do you feel about me?_

Thinking of all this began to make Sango more exhausted than she already was. But, it helped her realize her feelings for Miroku.

_What are these feelings, though?_

As she thought, slumber began to take over the taijiya. Soon her thoughts, her head, everything was all fuzzy and her vision became blurry.

It was about time she started falling asleep.

- - - - -

Did I do okay with capturing Sango-chan's feelings? Sango-chan is a very complicated character sometimes when you think about it! I can imagine she see-saws back and forth when it comes to her feelings for Houshi-sama, but I hope I did good! This time there are really no new Japanese words so there will be no need for my Japanese lesson! Once again, thank you so much for reading! Now I would like to thank the reviewers for the last chapter!

The Wishful Thinker's Review Responses (reviews are in the order in which I received them)

**Daisuke-n-Dark **: I love your pen name! Inuyasha-sama can be pretty hard to do sometimes, but I guess I managed! Thank you! And you made my heart skip a beat when you said I did Houshi-sama perfectly. He's probably the hardest character for me to do! They way he talks so poetically sometimes! That really made my day! And yes, Masuyuki-san got a little personal with everyone. But then again, he's elderly. My grandmother does it all the time! I actually used my own relationship with my father there. But my mother never passed away, she was just in the hospital for a long time and that helped me grow a little closer to him. But overall, thank you for the wonderfully long review! It made me feel great getting a review like that!

**The Only Way Out** : Thank you! I understand that, my friend even said that. I guess I have to work on that a little more! Thank you for pointing it out!

**Rivertam** : Thank you! I'll try to update as quickly as possible!

**Exploding-Chocobo** : Rei-chan! I love your pen name! And thank you! Your story is great! I can't wait until you update!

**Lily the Frog Princess** : I can't say my two characters affect the plot at all, but whenever Inuyasha-sama and the gang go to villages they always meet someone new and everything. And thank you! I feel as if no Inuyasha story is complete without a battle scene! And I'm glad you liked the way it was done! I thought I would be horrible at writing it but I'm actually satisfied!

**Yurikitsune** : Thank you!

See you all soon!

- - - - - - - - -

Next Chapter : As You Sleep – Something Corporate

Miroku overcomes his pain to see Sango after he sacrificed his life for her.


	3. As You Sleep

Hello again! It's been a while, but I'm back with another chapter! This one is really short, but this is just a fill – in chapter. It seems to be done in mangas and animes a lot. Thank you so much to all of the wonderful people who read the last chapter, and thank you to all of my great reviewers! Without any of you I probably wouldn't have continued this story! You'll all be acknowledged at the end of the chapter in my review responses! Now, without further ado, here is the third chapter!

- - - - -

So Close, Yet So Far Away by The Wishful Thinker

Chapter Two – As You Sleep

_Close your eyes _

_And I will be swimming _

_Lullabies fill your room _

_And I will be singing _

_Singing to only you _

_Don't forget I'll hold your head _

_Watch the night sky fading red _

_But as you sleep _

_And no one is listening _

_I will lift you off your feet _

_And keep you from sinking _

_Don't you wake up yet _

_'Cause soon I'll be leaving you _

_Soon I'll be leaving you _

_But you won't be leaving me _

_In the car _

_The radio leaves me searching for your star _

_A constellation of frustration _

_Driving hard _

_Singing my thoughts back to me _

_Like watching heartache on T.V. _

_But as you sleep _

_And no one is listening _

_I will lift you off your feet _

_And keep you from sinking _

_Don't you wake up yet _

_'Cause soon I'll be leaving you _

_Soon I'll be leaving you _

_And you won't be leaving me _

_Don't forget I'll hold your head _

_Watch the night sky fading red _

_But as you sleep _

_And no one is listening _

_I will lift you off your feet _

_And keep you from sinking _

_Don't you wake up yet _

_'Cause soon I'll be leaving you _

_Soon I'll be leaving you_

_And you won't be leaving me_

_As You Sleep – Something Corporate_

Stinging pain. Hazy thoughts. Weak muscles.

Miroku found it hard to open his eyes as he groggily lifted up his arm and ran a hand over his face. When he moved his shoulder he let out a low gasp of pain.

_Where am I?_

The houshi looked around the room, finding himself in an unfamiliar place. He felt even more bewildered when he was only dressed in his _hadagi_.

Miroku turned to his side and almost jumped out of his skin when he saw a woman lying next to him. After studying the back of the female's head goose pimples formed on his arms when he learned that the woman next to him was none other than Sango.

Closing his eyes, Miroku softly inhaled and took in the scent of Sango's hair. Although her hair was dirty, it still smelt beautiful.

Beautiful.

Just like Sango.

Miroku sighed. He tried to sit up, pursing his chapped lips, but nothing but sharp pains ran through his body in all directions. He plopped back on his futon.

_Damn, that hurt._

He ran his tongue over his lips, tasting dry blood. An awful taste filled his mouth. He needed water.

But it would be hard for him to get water. He could not move without feeling incredible pain, and he did not know where he was. Waking up Sango was an option, but Miroku didn't want to disturb her, for she seemed to be in a deep sleep.

Lifting up his head, Miroku spotted his _shakujou_ lying on the ground by the wall. He thought that maybe he could use it for a walking stick, to walk outside and find a drink of water.

But how had he gotten in this condition anyway? All he could remember was fighting that youkai to keep it from terrorizing the village.

Did he pass out?

Was he knocked unconscious?

Then, he remembered. He remembered as he watched Sango run away from the youkai, watched Kagome shoot an arrow at its head, and watched Inuyasha slash at it with the Tessaiga.

Then he watched the youkai slowly begin to fall to the ground and then watched as Sango tripped and fell as well. She didn't move and it looked as if she was clutching her ankle. Miroku then remembered the only thing that came to his mind at the time : bring Sango to safety.

So, Miroku pushed Sango away from the falling youkai. If it meant risking his life, it didn't matter to him.

Just as long as Sango was safe.

_Because I would die for her_.

Smiling and slowly nodding to himself, Miroku turned to the sleeping taijiya. He watched as her chest slowly rose up and down as she breathed, he watched as she occasionally shifted on her futon. He could watch her for hours.

Forgetting about his soreness, the houshi stood up. He gasped as he felt sharp pain shoot through his body, causing him to almost lose his balance.

Sango stirred and rolled over onto her side, emitting a soft yawn before resuming back to her steady breathing.

Miroku turned around and watched Sango's sleeping form. He smiled to himself and he, unaware of what he was doing, kneeled down before her and placed a hand gently on her head. It seemed that just being around Sango like this seemed to take away all of the pain that was aching through Miroku's body.

"Oh Sango," he whispered. "If only you knew how scared I was before. You could have been killed if that youkai fell on you."

Miroku tenderly slipped a hand under Sango's head, stroking her hair. Despite it being greasy, it still felt Miroku was stroking a bed of radiant black silk.

Still smiling, Miroku continued whispering to Sango.

"Although it may not seem like it, I feel as if I'm in love with you, Sango," he said. "There's not one morning where I don't dream of waking up next to you, not one night where I don't wish I could be holding you as we lay under the stars, and there is no one else I would rather spend my life with than you."

Sango's lips slightly curved into a smile.

_If only it was my face you were seeing_.

"I don't understand when I started feeling this way for you," Miroku continued. "Before I knew it, I started to get this wonderful feeling in the pit of my stomach when I was around you. Whenever we touched my whole entire body grew warm and I felt like I was on fire, and I just seemed to be enjoying your presence more and more everyday.

"How do you feel about _me_, Sango? Sometimes I feel as if you can't stand being around me. I know you don't like my groping you," he chuckled, "but like I told you, it's my cursed hand."

_The kazana_.

Miroku slowly picked up his right hand and stared at it with a blank expression. He then balled it into a fist, clutching forcefully.

"I may be leaving soon Sango, you know that," he told her. "Each day I fear my kazana may be getting larger and before we all know it, it will suck me up. I hate the idea of leaving you, but this was the fate that was put upon my grandfather and me."

Moments now went by and Miroku simply found these moments wonderful just by gazing at Sango.

She made him complete.

She was his everything.

He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

If only there wasn't that kazana. Then everything would be _perfect_.

"I love you Sango," Miroku spoke just but a whisper as he bent down and kissed the girl's forehead.

- - - - -

I'm really sorry about the length of this chapter. It was very short and I admit that I didn't put much effort into it, but the next chapter will be longer! I didn't plan for the last two chapters to be short because I never like to write anything under three thousand words. Now, here's this chapter's Japanese lesson!

The Wishful Thinker's Japanese Dictionary (the words are in the order in which they appear in the story)

_Hadagi_ – Houshi-sama's white under robe

_Shakujou_ – Houshi-sama's staff

Now, here are my review responses for the last chapter!

The Wishful Thinker's Review Responses (reviews are in the order in which I received them)

**blacksunbeams** – Thank you very much!

**Rivertam** – Thanks! I think Sango-chan is a really hard character to cover when it comes to emotions. Yes, she is a naïve one! Like me! Little gestures like that would make me feel just like Tokiwa-san felt. I think she's just desperate because she really doesn't want to marry Juichi-san! I really wouldn't say there was fluff in this chapter, but there definitely will be in the next chapter! I absolutely love fluff!

**moonyme** – Thanks! Well, here's your update!

**Daisuke-n-Dark** – Your welcome! And you're right! Criticism is very well appreciated when it comes to reviews! Ah, I didn't look at it that way! Sorry about the suffixes! And Juvenile Orion is a great series … You're right, they do use suffixes a lot too. I guess it's just a habit of mine! I'm sorry about using them too much! Have you ever seen the chapter where Houshi-sama asks Sango-chan to live with him after the defeat Naraku-sama? Kagome was in the bushes with Inuyasha-sama saying how romantic she thought the whole situation was. I guess that's where I got that from! Oh, thank you! I guess I did do a pretty good job with that. I can't help but feel that way sometimes too. The first chapter was my favorite so far too. I really liked the way I wrote it. I kind of got messy and lazy with these last two chapters! But once again, thank you so much for the wonderful review!

**Exploding-Chocobo** – Your welcome! And thanks! I hope you update your story soon too! It's great so far!

**MystiKoorim** – Thanks! I love cute stories! I guess I can capture their feelings well from watching the show a lot!

The next chapter will be out shortly!

- - - - -

Next Chapter : Simply Because – Rooney

Sango just can't seem to return Miroku's feelings. Why is that? Simply because.


End file.
